Called ‘Backpacker by STA’, the new concept stores offer local assistance on the best hostels, activities and transport and free in store Wi-Fi.

“With increasingly attractive currency conversion rates, the inbound Backpacker market in Australia is set for strong growth in 2015/2016. Often overlooked by the local travel industry as not offering strong financial returns, research in fact shows that on average each Backpacker coming into Australia spends over $5300 each, on accommodation, food, transport, tours and entertainment,” said Linda Addy, Managing Director of STA Travel Australia. “Accounting for 13% of the total Tourism market in Australia, worth in excess of $3 billion.”

Run by travellers for travellers, the ‘Backpacker by STA Travel’ concept stores will be a one stop travel shop for everything on the ground in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Asia.

More than 50 million visitor nights are spent in hostels in Australia, mostly along the eastern seaboard. The new stores are based in these areas.

For more information on Backpacker by STA Travel drop into a store in Sydney, Melbourne or Cairns, visit: www.statravel.com.au/backpacker or call 1300 595 711.